Folding square.



G. A. A. SHAKEIIY.

FOLDING SQUARE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.6, 1911.

1,021,850.. v Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

I .l I L CHESTER A. A. SHAKELY, OF OIL CITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

FOLDING SQUARE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed April 6, 1911. Serial No. 619,312.

Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, CHESTER A. A. SHAKELY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oil City, in the county of Venango and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Squares, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to folding squares, and has for its object to provide a square the blades of which can be set at any angle desired from straight to a right angle, thus permitting the instrument to be used as a straight edge, a square or a miter. When the device is folded the blades can be adjusted lengthwise upon each other so that the device will be no longer thanthe longest blade, and may therefore be readily contained in a tool chest or the like. It also has the advantage that it can be manufactured at much less cost than an ordinary square with rigid arms, as practically no scrap metal will be lost.

The instrument is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the blades in different position. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the end of one blade.

Referring specifically to the drawings,

6 indicates one arm or blade of the device and 7 the other. These are madeseparate, and are provided with scales as desired. One arm, preferably the longer one, has a longitudinal slot 8, which slot has a branch 9 near the end of the blade where it joins the other blade. The other blade 7 is provided with two screw studs 10 which pro-" ject through the slots 8 and 9, and these studs are provided with hand nuts 11, whereby the parts may be clamped at adjustment. The ends of the slots at the joint are preferably countersunk as indicated at 12, so that when the parts are set to form a square, the nuts 11 will screw down into the countersinks and thus assist in holding the blades rigidly at a right angle, and this result is also assisted by a shoulder 13, formed on the underside of the blade 6, and the edge of the blade 7 fits against. this shoulder when the parts are set at a right angle. To fold the blades, or set the same at other angles, the nuts 11 are loosened, and the blades can then be turned with respect to each other, the screw studs 10 sliding along in the slots 8 and 9 to the desired position as illustrated in Fig. 2.

When the stud 10 in the slot 9 reaches and slot '8 is sufficient to permit the studs 10 to move along a suflicient distance to cause theblades to be superposed or collapsed,-

so that the length of the device when so folded is no longer than. the longest arm. The slot 9 has of course the proper curvature to permit the pin 10 to slide therein without binding, as the arms are changed from one angle to another.

The invention is not limited to the exact embodiment shown but various modifica- I tions may be made within the scope thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1.'A folding square comprising a blade having. a longitudinal slot, substantially parallel to the long edge thereof, with a branch slot at one end of said slot, and another blade having a pair of studs slidable in the longitudinal slot and one of said studs being slidable therefrom into the branch slot, to vary the angle of the blades, and devices on the studs to clamp the blades at adjustment.

2. A folding square comprising a blade having diverging slots, one of which extends lengthwise of the blade, and parallel to the edge thereof, the ends of the slots being located in a line at a right angle to.

from said slot near one end thereof, and In testimony whereof, I affix my signaanother blade provided with studs slidture in presence of tWo Witnesses. able in said slots, the studs being located in line parallel to the edge of their blade and CHESTER A. A. SHAKELY.

' at a distance from said edge equal to the distance of the longitudinal slot from the Witnesses: edge of its blade, whereby the blades may I J. L. ROBBINS, form a straight-edge including both. G. 1V1. FINAHAKER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

